Not Only Ahok’s Future But Indonesia’s…

It’s a public holiday, declared by President Jokowi to give everyone in Indonesia a chance to get to the polls today, 15th February, local elections nationwide.

Here in Jakarta, my home for many years…

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… the last thing they’ll care about is what we foreigners, resident or abroad, have to say about the choice they’re making.

That’s why I have waited till polling stations have been open for several hours (well, that and because it’s a holiday and it’s nice to sleep in then sunbathe out front!) before wrapping this up and posting it.

It’ll be 2pm, I think, when they shut. 

I will have no impact on anyone’s vote, but then neither will the distant thunder of mainstream media pundits in Australia or anywhere else.  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/governor-ahok-fault-lines-across-jakarta/

Indonesians can think for themselves and there are few major issues about voter fraud.

Unlike in the USA –

…some states are so notoriously slipshod in their controls (California, Virginia and New York…come to mind) that it would be shocking if many illegals didn’t vote.

 Trump Is Right — Millions Of Illegals Probably Did Vote In 2016

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• If Ahok wins, despite his occasional foolish  moves, and by that I largely mean the destruction of Kali Jodoh…

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  • Wong Cilik, Ahok, TNI – Tragedi Kali Jodo! 
  • …which upset far more than just the poor people who lived there, it will show the world that a majority of citizens in the capital of Indonesia are not susceptible to sectarianism.
  • Please note, 90% of the capital’s voters are Muslim, so even if Ahok only gets through to a run-off, it will show there are MILLIONS of Muslims…

Jakarta – Decent Muslims Challenge Islamist Witch-Hunt! 

Good Muslims Speak Up For Threatened Christian Governor 

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 …here in this ever-interesting city, who have no time whatsoever for the venomous jihadist demos we have, to our disgust, heard and seen for months now.

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True, where Jakarta goes, there’s no guarantee the rest of the archipelago will follow.

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But if he loses, for whatever reason, or even worse, gets knocked out in today’s first round, that will be perceived as a triumph for the ugliest IslamoNazi elements in the land, the savages whom we have mentioned before…

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…The protesters, most of whom were men dressed in white Muslim attire, were heard yelling, “We want a Muslim governor,” “Burn Ahok!”  Breaking News – Jakarta Cops Tear-Gas Islamist Louts! 

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…whose view – I guess they’d not deny it –  is ANYONE but Ahok.

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It need not have had to be like this.

If his two opponents had spoken up, denounced the jihadist vendetta against Ahok, criticised him for whatever they think he’s done wrong…

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  ”Outrageous” Activity in Jakarta Pools? OMG – BIKINIS! …( I’ve disagreed with Ahok more than once!)

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… but told the world that under NO circumstances should ANYONE ever be prosecuted for the ‘crime’ of blasphemy, then whoever emerges victorious tonight, Jakarta’s reputation would not suffer.

But instead, we had both his rivals attend last weekend’s ‘prayer session’ which we had to mention last night.

They could respectably have gone to pray elsewhere.

Jakarta Mosque – Yellow-Bellies Bash, Spit On, Journos! 

Unsurprisingly, I suppose, Agus Yudhoyono has STILL not disowned his father’s infamous call for universal religious censorship.

Agus, of all people, as a representative of the younger generation, should have stood up for a modern-minded appreciation of free expression, written, drawn or spoken, on matters of creed.  

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• SBY to ask the world to ban blasphemy | The Jakarta Post
• [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
• And we had Anies Baswedan, embarrassing himself and alarming those who had once perceived him, a former government minister, as seriously committed to pluralist values.
• Anies toddled along cheerfully to a gathering of the hate-gang FPI and look at the big smile he got…
• Another ‘Moderate’ Muslim Hanging Out With Da Gang? 
• ===========================

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 …from the ferocious fanatic Rizieq, who thinks Ahok should be slain for mere words.

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Ever since this ‘blasphemy’ carry-on began, with Ahok’s good-natured observations at that Thousand Islands public meeting…

An Apostate Attacks Ahok – Denies Right To Criticise! 

… we have seen the ugliest face of Islamist intolerance leering and looming ever larger in the public sphere.

Whether Indonesia can pull through this time of aberration, I honestly don’t know.

I hope so, but deep down, I fear not.  

So Has Indonesia Come To This? Paradise Lost? 

 

 

Jakarta Kampanye – Meskipun Hujan Besar!

Last campaigning day, before Jakarta’s gubernatorial election on Wednesday.

After suggesting folks stay home today to avoid the disruption that might rise from the various events, I woke to thunderous rainfall, so no way would I have gone out anyway. Besides, a visitor was on the way.

But I did decide to watch Metro TV’s coverage.

It was particularly pleasant to contemplate the anti-Ahok bigot brigade getting soaked on their way to their ‘prayer rally!’

The rain abated and they’ll be dried out at home by now, mulling over which of the other two candidates is best placed to defeat the Christian incumbent, Ahok, whom they so abhor.

But the candidates’ rallies were interesting.

Ahok had his indoors, in some grand hotel, where those big ballrooms can hold huge numbers of people. 

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•  Ahok
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• I missed his speech today, but heard him when I watched the final debate on TV this week.
• Although I strongly disagreed with what he did at Kali Jodo…
  

  Wong Cilik, Ahok, TNI – Tragedi Kali Jodo! 

  …I have to say he manfully defend that episode during the debate.

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– Agus

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Agus Yudhoyono held an open-air gathering, somewhere in posh Kuningan, where  I was intrigued by his willingness to be bounced up into the air over and over again by his enthusiastic fans.

At least I assume it was he.

If so, I applaud his commitment to vote-getting.  Even when I was in local politics, far from Indonesia, many years ago, and somewhat famous locally for my ability to attract publicity, I never did that!

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Nor did Anies Beswaden.

He comes across as a staid character, which is more than can be said for the show-biz star he had out with him today.

Rhoma Irama is called The King of Dangdut here, and musically he is gifted. But his fanatical Islamist character has more often caught out attention.

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Irama–  ‘Muslims need the FPI!’

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“I was only reciting An-Nisa Surah verse 144, in which God says firmly that the faithful are banned from voting for a kafir [infidel] as their leader,” Rhoma Irama said in a press conference before being questioned by the Jakarta Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu Jakarta). 
“Muslims who vote for a non-Muslim leader become an enemy of God,” he added.  Jakarta Globe, 6/8/12

See also –

• When asked about his attitude about Ahmadiyah , Rhoma immediately replied firmly …” As for religious harmony,  eliminate religions that are destructive , ” said Rhoma after a press conference held at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel , Central Jakarta, Thursday ( 5th December ) Cry-Baby Islamist Wannabe – “Religious Harmony? Eliminate Destructive Religions!” 

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After Anies was headlined for hanging out with the white-shirt vigilante gang…

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Baswedan, basking in FPI smiles

Another ‘Moderate’ Muslim Hanging Out With Da Gang? 

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… his decision to have Cry-Baby as his foremost entertainer might suggest a lapse of judgement, but never mind.

Then Metro took us back to the studio, where a yummy lady held court, much analysis and comment from various folks.

That went on and on, so much so I nodded off!

 

Another ‘Moderate’ Muslim Hanging Out With Da Gang?

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But alas, it’s becoming ever more difficult to highlight the truth about Indonesia, which is that most Muslims here are not Arabised klutzes who want a caliphate, but, on the contrary, rather nice, normal people whom I mix with on a regular basis.

We’ve seen, in the recent past, leaders like the Mayor of Bogor,...

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Bogor Mayor Bima Arya

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X-Rated Xmas – Foul-Mouths Bully Christians, As ‘Moderate’Mayor Denies They Exist!’ 

….once hailed as a ‘moderate,’ who got elected then continued the oppressive policy of his Islamist predecessor, targetting local Christians, denying them access to their own church despite a Supreme Court ruling in their favour.

Now we have another so-called ‘moderate’  – a fellow famed for his ‘moderation,’ so it’s said – showing up to grub for votes at an ‘event’ staged by the notorious hate-gang, the IslamoNazi FPI.

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Hate-gang on the march in Jakarta

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• You can read the whole story, in the Sydney Morning Herald, of all places Jakarta governor contender Anies Baswedan under fire for meeting …and such international attention indicates the extent of the problem, currently exemplified by a geezer named Anies Baswedan.
• Anies Baswedan is running for the position of Governor of Jakarta, against the incumbent, Ahok.

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•  Ahok

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• Ahok’s campaign is doing quite well, despite the fact he’s on trial for ‘blasphemy…’
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• …an offence one expects to find mentioned in history books, not in the courts of the “world’s largest Muslim democracy,” as this big country is often described.
• One of those loudest in demands for the most bizarre prosecution is Habib Rizieq, a fanatic who has publicly said the accused governor should be killed!
• ….

• “We encourage the government to process the death penalty for Ahok as soon as possible,” said Rizieq.  http://www.suara.com/news/2016/10/14/134313/

• One might expect that respectable politicians would support free speech, on religion or anything else, or at least denounce deranged death demands.

• Or at the VERY least avoid at all costs public association with a man like Rizieq. 

• NOT Anies Baswedan!

He opted to share a platform with that ranting Islamist, seen with Anies in the photo below.

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Baswedan, basking in Rizieq’s smiles

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One of Anies’ men told the SMH that the whole thing had been blown out of proportion because it was the FPI. “We understand that.”

Imagine if a candidate for Mayor of New York  or any American, or British, or Australian city had agreed to honour a KKK rally with his or her presence!

That too might have been blown out of proportion, and no wonder.

Decent people do NOT consort with sectarian vigilante gangs – or at least should not.

For those of use who love Indonesia, this is little short of heart-breaking.

As it is for millions of decent Indonesian too, one of whom is also quoted in the SMH –

“Will this picture be remembered as the day moderates die?” tweeted Evan Laksmana, an analyst with the ‎Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia.

He’s not the only Indonesian lamenting that “Anies Baswedan, once known as a global voice of moderate Islam, campaigned at FPI HQ.”

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Never mind.

There’s a third candidate, Agus Yudhoyono, son of ex-President SBY. Agus has not seen fit to, and is unlikely to, repudiate his father’s unforgettable call for Indonesia’s awful ‘blasphemy’ law to be made a global fatwa.

SBY to ask the world to ban blasphemy | The Jakarta Post

• No reasons to becheerful then, if Agus comes out on top.
• So this morning, awaiting the arrival of a welcome Indonesian visitor, then later hoping to sit out front in the glorious Indonesian sunshine…

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• …maybe after a lunch in my local warteg –  $1.50 for a big plate of yummy Indonesian food! – perhaps you can understand why I don’t dwell as much as once I did on Indonesian news. 

It’s simply too depressing. 

Ahok Defies Back-Stabbers And Sectarian Fanatics!

Since the bloody riot two Fridays ago, when gangs of Islamist hoodlums attacked police and shamed Indonesia before the assembled cameras of the world’s media, a lot of that overseas media have lost interest in what’s happening in Jakarta.

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Zuhairi

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• So for the sake of fair play, I must mention today a young Muslim leader named Zuhairi Misrawi.
• Despite the Jakarta Post branding him an ‘intellectual,’ he sounds a sensible fellow. He belongs to the NU, the Nahdlatul Ulama, a very large organisation, which sometimes comes out with rational thoughts, and this is one of those times.

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• Zuhairi is urging the extremist so-called ‘scholars’ of the MUI, who are still state-funded, so far as I know…

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….to back-track on their peculiar accusations of ‘blasphemy’ against Ahok, the Christian Governor of Jakarta.

As has been obvious to everyone from the start of the controversy, Zuhairi points out that it’s based on a misquote of a speech the governor made that was uploaded to the internet.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/11/07/mui-must-retract-biased-statement-against-ahok-nu-activist.html

We reported on Ahok’s reference to a Koranic verse before, and you can check that out…

Half-Million Fanatics Descending On Jakarta? Peacefully!?! 

…but it’s undoubtedly true that, if the issue had remained a case of notorious jihadist gang-groups caterwauling as usual, few normal Indonesians would have given a tinker’s cuss.

But Zuhairi’s right.

 “The MUI is the source of all of these problems.”

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The self-styled ‘scholars’ will be miffed, I guess, but again overseas readers need to see some examples of what sort of thinking permeates their opulent HQ downtown.

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• Ma’aruf

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It was MUI’s Deputy Chair, Ma’aruf, who kindly advised everyone that FGM is a ‘human right!’  

 https://rossrightangle.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/clitoral-clip-no-scraping-suffices-tell-us-islamist-scholars-why-do-it/

And here’s another of their ‘scholars’ talking. 

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Syamsul Maarif,  General Secretary of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Jakarta

“If the act of adultery is by a married person, then stoning is the sentence, while if unmarried, then it’s whipping,” he said.
 http://www.suarapembaruan.com/home/mui-dukung-pelaku-kumpul-kebo-dipidanakan/32705

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• Would you take anything they say seriously?
• So why do the Jakarta Police?
• However, encouragingly, the Jakarta police have also started to take a careful look at a certain Buni Yani.

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He’s the character who uploaded the video which the nastiest elements in the archipelago then spread around to foment hatred against the Governor.

Foment other people’s hatred, that is, because the nastiest elements have always hated him Jakarta Jew-Haters Boo Chinese Christian Candidate  , simply because of his race and religion and his habit of calling a spade a spade.

Fanatic Islamist Wails At Christian Governor – “He Calls People Names!”  

It seems this geezer has admitted making errors when transcribing the governor’s words before posting the footage.

Bizarrely, Buni was quoted in Republika, a newspaper that might charitably be described as ‘Islamic,’ on Friday, as demanding that   Ahok supporters stop their provocations.‘

Buni Yani Minta Pendukung Ahok Hentikan Provokasi

http://www.republika.co.id/berita/nasional/politik/16/11/05/og581g377-buni-yani-minta-pendukung-ahok-hentikan-provokasi

Meanwhile, Ahok is showing he’s made of the right stuff, refusing to stand down as a gubernatorial candidate despite chicken-sh-ts behind the scenes seeking to dissuade him. 

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Ahok

• Without naming the parties, Ahok said he had been asked to drop out on security concerns in the capital. He claimed the parties said demonstrations against him would continue if he stayed in the race.

I wish he’d ID the culprits, but good to see the good guv ain’t taking any cr-p from creeps that crawl to the sectarians behind the ‘blasphemy’ ballyhoo.

 “I’d rather be arrested and jailed than drop out of the race,” Ahok said in the Pantai Mutiara area, North Jakarta, on Thursday

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/11/11/id-rather-be-arrested-and-jailed-than-drop-out-of-race-ahok.html

Good for Ahok! I hope that the many millions of decent Muslims who live in Jakarta will endorse his courageous stand.

If people must make an issue of religion in the election next year, which of course it shouldn’t be, my own view is that they should focus on ex-president SBY’s son, Agus Yudhoyono,  who is also running for Jakarta Governor.

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• Agus should be put on the spot about whether or not he goes along with his old man’s outrageous call for shariah censorship to be extended across the globe.. 
• SBY to ask the world to ban blasphemy | The Jakarta Post
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• And he should be asked about the shameful Tri-Ministerial Decree, the discriminatory diktat promulgated under SBY’s rule, which has made life pure hell for the peaceful and inoffensive Ahmadi minority here.  http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/11/04/indonesia-uphold-religious-freedom 

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• Will Agus give a guarantee to protect freedom of religion in Indonesia’s capital?